Italian Short Course Championships Follow European Titles

TREVISO, ITA, December 23. ITALY followed the pattern of several other LEN nations in setting short course championships in the wake of the European Championships in Vienna earlier this month.

SWIMINFO has already reported on both the Spanish and Dutch championships. Italy likewise has given its elite athletes another shot at personal bests while in taper mode and given their less experienced swimmers a chance to face the top dogs while each are within a few days of being fully prepared. It is a win-win situation seldom available.

The top two performances came from the same event at Caterina Giacchetti and Francesca Segat went one-two in the 200 butterfly at 2:07.78 and 2:08.08 respectively. Giacchetti won bronze in Vienna, with Segat 5th. Caterina’s time in Treviso would have retained the bronze, while Segat actually would have improved to 4th, moving past Hungary’s Eva Risztov.

Switzerland’s Flavia Rigamonti continued her return to form with a 4:07.06/8:26.80 double at 400 and 800 meters freestyle, with the latter swim matching Segat’s 969 FINA performance points.

The women produced only one triple winner, breaststroker Chiara Boggiatto at the 50-100-200 distances of her specialty discipline. (:32.35; 1:08.12; 2:26.43)

Breaststroke produced the top men’s swim, with a 2:08.71.from Loris Facci earning 968 points. Facci was not a finalist in Vienna (his time would have been fifth) but got the Treviso win over newly crowned European Champion Paolo Bossini by .25, with Sydney Olympic medalist in the event, David Rummolo, in third for good measure.

Veteran Emiliano Brembilla had an equivalent 968 point swim in the 400 freestyle (3:43.66), another event won by an Italian in Vienna (Massimiliano Rosolino) but won in Treviso someone not in the final in Vienna with a swim that would have been fifth in Austria.